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Detecon
Releases In-Depth Review of IPTV Technology, Predicting How the
Technology will Develop
Other Topics:
IPTV Headend,
IPTV Service Assurance
Detecon, Inc.
February 8, 2006
- Urges Telcos to press
software companies for a simplified architecture and open
interfaces
- Cautions most Telcos to not
roll out undifferentiated "Me Too" video offers
San Mateo, CA - Detecon, Inc., a
leading global telecommunications and information technology
consultant, has released several key predictions and caveats for the
emerging IPTV industry. The paper, IPTV: Technology and Development
Predictions, is a must-read for those interested in keeping current
with IPTV technology and market developments.
“We can help service providers do the proper analysis for a more
robust, more cost-effective IPTV deployment,” said Eckart Pech, CEO
Detecon, Inc. “Over the years, we’ve seen promising new technologies
develop around the world and our experience can help US carriers
better compete.” Detecon, who has provided telecom consulting
services in over 120 countries around the globe, offers valuable
insights to how markets behave as technologies and competitors
converge. |
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Detecon’s white paper outlines an array of IPTV architectures,
explaining the core components of an end-to-end system. The paper
also takes two deep dives into the issues of channel change and
video codec. Detecon investigates the requirements IPTV imposes on
the network for additional bandwidth and multicasting support. The
paper also describes several IPTV initiatives both in the US and
abroad.
Detecon’s eye-opening IPTV predictions and caveats include a warning
that popular IPTV middlewares might need some significant changes.
“Software companies are committed to IPTV and have invested a lot in
marketing and engineering activities,” said the paper’s author, Dr.
Patrick Pfeffer, Chief Network Architect at Detecon, Inc. “But most
of the releases are far too complex, and subsequent releases will
likely be even more complex” warned Dr. Pfeffer. “Software partially
mitigates the lack of bandwidth in the local loop, but that doesn’t
outweigh the potential risks.” He urges Telcos to press software
companies for a simplified architecture and open interfaces.
Dr. Pfeffer also cautioned that most of the current Telco IPTV
models are undifferentiated “Me-Too” video offerings aimed at
helping Telcos gain mere parity with the Cable MSOs, who are quickly
deploying VoIP for Triple Play. “We can help Telcos be more
innovative by leveraging their communications leadership, while
expanding into entertainment services” added Dr. Pfeffer. “Building
an IPTV capable network is certainly within reach for Telcos, but
succeeding in the market will require a dramatic culture change.”
Other key findings include:
The Future of Television –Video on Demand?
VoD might be the killer app, but it is not restricted to movies and
also includes TV programming recorded with NPVRs (Network Personal
Video Recorders). The problem is if VoD becomes a prevalent form of
TV viewing (unicast vs. multicast), the current IPTV networks Telcos
are building will not have enough bandwidth.
Renewed CAPEX:
The current ADSL network can not support IPTV and must be
overhauled, with double the CAPEX needed to future-proof the
network. This investment should benefit equipment manufacturers and
lead to further concentration in the industry.
Small is Beautiful:
There are many successful deployments of IPTV across the world. Most
of them are by small or medium size operators. Many large operators
are struggling.
An executive summary of the paper is available at
www.deteconamericas.com/iptv_paper.shtml.
About Detecon
With over 3,000 projects in 120 countries and more than 600
consultants on staff, Detecon is one of the world’s leading global
consulting firms for the communications and information technology
industry. Providing business insights and technology services that
help clients succeed, Detecon serves enterprises, service providers
and government entities in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa.
Detecon, Inc. is headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with other U.S.
offices in San Mateo, California; Seattle, Washington and Mexico
City. Additional Detecon offices are located in key markets
throughout the world. Detecon is a fully owned subsidiary of
T-Systems Enterprise Services GmbH, the brand for all Deutsche
Telekom’s business customers. Please visit us at
www.DeteconAmericas.com. |
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